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I jump to my feet and shove past Zak who’s lounging against the door of Luka’s office. Larysa’s panicked cries shatter the air. I run in the direction of her voice and fall to my knees next to her…next to where Daniela lies still on the floor.
Just when I thought the noose around my neck couldn’t yank any tighter.
Chapter28
Larysa
“What happened?” Danil growls, pressing his fingers to Daniela’s neck. He leans down to listen to her chest. I almost choke on the thick knot of tears wedged in my throat.
“I was talking to Natasha while Daniela ate her cookies. When I looked over at her, she had her hands around her throat, like she was choking.”
“She’s not choking. She’s breathing but barely,” he mutters, pulling out his keys and tossing them at Luka, who just ran into the kitchen. “Get my EpiPen from the glove compartment.”
“But she doesn’t have any allergies.” Tears spill down Larysa’s flushed cheeks. “How can this be happening?”
“What did she eat?” He peers at the table and points to a white cake. “Nat, that cake. I’ve never seen it before. What’s in it?”
Natasha wrings her hands together, her face draining of color. “Oh my God. Marzipan. I made it myself instead of getting store-bought, and used almond paste. It was for Taras. I wasn’t thinking. My freaking brain is mush because of the baby!”
Luka runs back into the house and drops next to us with the EpiPen.
“Call 9-1-1.” Danil takes the injector from Luka. “She needs to get to a hospital.”
“Is she allowed to get a shot at such a young age?” I clasp Daniela’s hand tight in mine. Her lips are even more swollen than they were a couple of seconds ago.
“She’s in anaphylactic shock. I’ve never seen anyone faint from it, so we don’t have time to waste. If she doesn’t get the shot, we might not make it to the emergency room in time. I only have the adult pen, but it’s better than taking the risk of waiting until we get to the hospital.” His face pales as he pulls the cap off the pen. “Take her pants off.”
I slide the elastic waistband down to her ankles, and Danil hovers the needle over her outer thigh before injecting the orange tip into her. Seconds stretch into what feels like hours before Daniela’s eyes flutter open.
“Ahh-ma,” she whimpers softly, her words muddled by her thick swollen lips and tongue. I scoop her shaking body into my arms and hold her close. Tears flood my eyes as I rock her.
“Thank God you had that EpiPen.” My vision blurs with tears as I stare at Danil. Shock fogs my mind. I’ve never seen him so rattled. It’s like the cold, hardened man fell away in shattered pieces, revealing a vulnerable alter ego, one who actually has emotions instead of the stone-faced asshole who doesn’t give a damn about anything but vengeance and fucking whom I’ve been stuck with for the past few days.
Right now, he looks like a father whose baby is in danger and knows he will do anything to protect her and keep her safe.
And my heart melts just a tiny bit when that flash of panic flickers in his dark eyes.
“How long is it supposed to take for the swelling to go down?”
“About half an hour.” He runs his fingertips down the side of her face. Daniela squints up at him.
“Ahh-dee,” she whispers, grabbing onto his finger with her hand and clasping it tight.
I sneak a look at his brothers, their jaws dropping to the floor like lead weights.
Judging by their incredulous stares, I’d guess Danil isn’t the most paternal of the crew.
“Fuck me, D,” Luka says in a low voice, sweeping his dark hair back. “You’re a dad.”
A hint of a smile lifts Danil’s lips. “I am.” He says it so softly, it’s almost like he was the sole audience for the words.
But I heard them, too. And as much as I hate to admit it, hearing it makes my ovariesandmy heart dance and jump.
I shift Daniela to help her take in air. Her breaths are shallow and raspy. “She needs oxygen. Where the heck is that ambulance?”
“We need to keep a close eye on her. A second reaction can come up out of nowhere and she might need another dose before we get to the emergency room.” Danil swipes at a tear on Daniela’s cheek, staring down at her like he is hopelessly in love. I almost swoon.
“You guys, I am so sorry,” Natasha weeps, her face red and blotchy with tears. “I wasn’t thinking and I should have said something sooner.”
